GLONASS orbital grouping upgrade to start in 2018

Russia will start to use new-generation Glonass-K satellites in its GLONASS orbital grouping from 2018, Russian Space Systems First Deputy CEO Grigory Stupak said late on Monday.

Russia will start to use new-generation Glonass-K satellites in its GLONASS orbital grouping from 2018, Russian Space Systems First Deputy CEO Grigory Stupak said late on Monday.

"From 2018, we will watch the renewal of the orbital grouping, the basis of which will be composed of Glonass-K spacecraft. Their distinctive feature is that they will transmit code division signals. Thus, the GLONASS system will transmit code division signals along with frequency division signals. In this regard, the GLONASS system will have a serious advantage over other systems," Stupak said at the conference entitled: "International School on Satellite Navigation’.

By that time, the formation of the European Galileo and the Chinese BeiDou global satellite navigation systems will be nearing completion or will be completed, he added.

"Now the system is being set up. About two days ago we were informed that two more Galileo satellites had been launched by our carrier rocket. The system will comprise ten spacecraft. We may suppose that by 2018-2019 the system will be fully established," Stupak said.

The establishment of the BeiDou orbital grouping is to be completed by 2020, he added.

Today, the GLONASS system comprises two Glonass-K spacecraft. Both of them are undergoing flight trials.

Earlier, Nikolai Testoyedov, CEO of Information Satellite Systems, which manufactures satellites for the GLONASS system, said that Glonass-K spacecraft are scheduled to be launched from 2017.